YMCA is transforming what was once Sacramento’s Capital Athletic Club. Here’s what’s changing
The building that used to be home to the popular Capital Athletic Club in downtown Sacramento is going through a revival.
The 52,000-square foot space at 1515 Eighth St. has been taken over by the YMCA , which did a soft opening for the facility Sept. 3 as it continues a three-phase renovation project. The plan is to have a blowout grand opening event in January when the renovations are complete.
"It was a great, great response," YMCA spokesperson Sierra Bamsey said of the club's reveal. "It's slowed a little bit, (but) I think a lot of people are waiting for the grand opening. Those members that were interested in joining, a lot of them are members now."
The Capital Athletic Club closed after 38 years at the end of 2023 with its operators saying several factors created challenges during its final years, likely including the COVID-19 pandemic and fewer commuters working downtown.
The club was known for having famous patrons like former former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Jordan while benefiting from its proximity to the state Capitol.
The YMCA announced it would take over the space July 10, marking its 10th location in the capital region.
Bamsey said the new club, called Capital YMCA, signed up just under 100 new members during its first month despite not being at full capacity and only having a limited number of amenities fully integrated. As of this week, the pool, the basketball court, a multi-use "sport court," a cardio room and a Pilates studio are open. The Pilates studio is limited to free assessments, with classes not yet offered.
"We're doing a few classes throughout the month of September and see which classes are popular, and doing some surveys, and then basing our October schedule off that," Bamsey said.
Plenty of work remains. The weight room area is replacing a pair of former racquetball courts and is not yet open after the YMCA did not secure the Capital Athletic Club's existing weight room when it took over the building.
Additionally, the pool is currently unheated because the building's boiler broke. The pool is cleaned regularly and operational while the boiler gets fixed, but it is closed when outdoor temperatures drop below 75 degrees.
Other aspects in the early planning stages include a commercial kitchen and "kids club" area, where members can drop their children off to be watched free of charge.
For now, the basketball gym is used for open runs and holds a mixture of workout classes. The cardio area recently opened with new equipment including treadmills and elliptical machines.
There are plans for youth activities when the club is fully open including basketball, dodgeball and futsal — a soccer-based game played on a hardwood surface. There are also plans for esports programs using Nintendo Switch.
Memberships run $78 per month for adults at the new location, $20 more than the nearby Sacramento Central YMCA located at W Street between 19th and 21st streets in midtown. Capital YMCA charges $60 a month for people ages 15 to 25, $166 for households of two adults and their dependents and $68 a month for seniors.
